Tag Archives: Parties

“We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand–and melting like a snowflake.” Sir Francis Bacon

This weekend my husband and I held a Wedding Shower for my son and his future bride. Since they live four hours away, we had a difficult time coordinating a date, but settled for July 7. Of course, the entire week before the party, it was in the 100’s and the heat wave broke all sorts of records.

Consequently, we would work outside early morning and late afternoon. When the sun was at its hottest, we would work in the house trying to get ready for the full house of company we would have for the weekend. If we felt too over-heated we would jump in the pool to cool down. However, even the pool was having trouble keeping up with the heat. After four days of high temperatures the water was 92 degrees and not quite as refreshing as it should have been.

Our goal was to make things as cool for our guests as possible. The dress was casual because we knew it would be too hot to be formally dressed. We had a shelter, lots of cool drinks (Sangria), good food, and an air-conditioned house for respite.

On the morning of the shower, as we all began to set up for the party that was set for one in the afternoon, it was still 98 degrees. Tempers flared as we attempted to set up the pop-up canopy and arrange the tables. The prep work in the kitchen was set to a furious cacophony of women trying to prepare cheese, meat, and vegetable trays. Everyone on duty was sweating and hot, but we worked together, so that when the first guests arrived, the place looked perfect.

Then, the magic occurred. As the future bride and groom opened their gifts, a swift breeze fluttered the top of the canopy. The flowers on the tables began to sway and a blessed cool wind came from the northwest. All the guests turned instinctively toward the relief. “Ahhhs.” Were heard all around.

The wind had shifted bringing a cool front to the stifling heat. The temperature dropped 10 degrees in fifteen minutes. By the time all the presents were opened and the cake was being passed around, the guests were no longer asking for iced drinks, but for coffee to go with their cake.

The universe had chosen that moment to give us all a break from the oppressive heat and blow in happy wishes for the future bride and groom. Never again will we be blessed to watch our son share this moment with his bride–to- be and his family and friends. Similarly, as the quote from Sir Frances Bacon states, “We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand- and melting like a snowflake.” Fortunately, none of us melted like a snowflake in the heat, but we did have the opportunity to view a couple, sparkling like the stars for a brief moment.

What fun would summer be without bubbles? It is the season of bubbles, and with the 4th of July coming soon, you may want to have some bubbles around for your parties and BBQ’s.

You can purchase pre-made bubbles at just about any store for a dollar or less. This makes bubbles a very inexpensive toy for kids of all ages. Those colorful, plastic bottles of fun have a wand inside, so all you have to do is open the bottle, pull out the wand, and make bubbles. It is possible to make your own bubbles using common ingredients around the house. Here are a couple of popular recipes found around the Internet…

If you are looking for a conversation starter, you can bring up these interesting facts about bubbles.

1. A Chicago company called Chemtoy began selling bubble solution in the 1940s.

2. Soap bubbles blown into air that is below a temperature of −15 C (5 F) will freeze when they touch a surface.

3. About 200 million bottles of bubbles are sold annually.

4. Largest Free-Floating Soap Bubble: On October 9, 2005, John Erck of XTREME Bubbles blew the Guinness World Record largest free-floating soap bubble, 105.4 cubic feet (2.98 cubic meters) in size. If the bubble were filled with water, it would hold 788 gallons and weigh 3.2 tons. To give you another idea of its size, 13,627 baseballs would fit inside of it.

5. Most Bubbles Blown with a Tarantula in the Mouth: The longest time blowing soap bubbles with a tarantula in the mouth is 1 minute 27 seconds and was achieved by Bruno Meggiolaro (Italy) on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, on 25 February 2010. A second tarantula was walking over his body during the attempt. The record was part of the Italian TV show “Lo Show dei Record” See the record at The Guinness Book of World Records.

For more information about Bubbles, you may wish to check out the sites listed below.

I am going to include this recipe in my annual Pool/BBQ party! My guests will love it.

A summertime staple at cookouts and the dinner table of my youth, Baked Beans represent warm weather and grilled eats. How sad was I when I was told that I had an allergy to tomatoes and had to forgo one of my favorite side dishes? Luckily, with a little research, I came across the difference between Southern style and New England style beans. Turns out folks up in Maine and their neighbor states find adding ketchup to beans is a crime akin to adding ketchup to a hotdog in Chicago. Finally, something this South Side Irish girl had in common with Yankees out east, beans! Traditional recipes call for a bean crock and hours of baking in the oven, which would hardly suit during the humid summers of Chi-Town. Good thing my best friend the Crock Pot is always there to keep the heat down in the kitchen while still…